What Could Have Happened to Clary and Jace
by RushHomeForPoirot
Summary: The Mortal Instruments/CLACE fanfic, rated T but probably changing to M soon. Clary and Jace are now bound by heavenly fire and the Clave are hell-bent on keeping them apart. Clary and Jace have other ideas; they'll do whatever it takes to be together...
1. Chapter 1

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter One**

**Glorious**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

From City of Lost Souls, p531:

"_I fell in love with you," he said, "because you were one of the bravest people I'd ever known. So how could I ask you to stop being brave just because I loved you?" He ran his hands through his hair, making it stick up in loops and curls that Clary ached to smooth down. "You came for me," he said. "You saved me when almost everyone else had given up, and even the people who hadn't given up didn't know what to do. You think I don't know what you went through?" His eyes darkened. "How do you imagine I could possibly be angry with you?"_

"_Then, why haven't you wanted to see me?"_

"_Because…" Jace exhaled. "Okay, fair point, but there's something you don't know. The sword you used, the one Raziel gave to Simon…"_

"_Glorious," said Clary. "The Archangel Michael's sword. It was destroyed."_

"_Not destroyed. It went back where it came from once the heavenly fire consumed it." Jace smiled faintly. "Otherwise our Angel would have had some serious explaining to do once Michael found out his buddy Raziel had lent out his favorite sword to a bunch of careless humans. But I digress. The sword…_

"...It didn't exactly break my bond with Sebastian in the way we thought it would." Jace said.

"What?" Clary narrowed her eyes, a deep, sinking dread appearing in the pit of her stomach.

"Clary." Jace swallowed, in a way that suggested he was trying desperately to contain himself. "I..."

Clary cupped his hands in hers, and looked deeply into his eyes. "Jace, come on." she said, "Tell me what's wrong."

"I think it would be easier if I showed you." he finally managed, and delicately pulled his hands from between hers.

"Okay." Clary glanced sideways at him, unsure of what he was going to do. "Are you sure? Do we have to go somewhere? Because-"

"No, it's nothing like that." he said, shaking his head. "Just watch."

Carefully, Jace took his right hand to her shoulder, his long, lean fingers tracing lightly across her fragile skin. Suddenly, his fingers tightened around her upper arm, until he whispered apologetically to her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he breathed.

"What are you doing?" she whimpered, his fingers beginning to bruise her skin in a way that became more painful by the second. "Jace, stop." she said more loudly.

He let go. "I'm sorry, I just had to show you..."

"Show me _what_?" Jace was beginning to annoy her. It was one thing to never directly answer her questions, but to hurt her and not have the decency to explain himself?

"Look." He lifted up the sleeve of his left arm to show her his shoulder.

For a moment, Clary wondered what she was supposed to be looking at. Then, as she peered more closely, she noticed the four fingertip-sized bruises that had appeared on his arm, the skin blue and beginning to pucker slightly. Jace turned his arm outwards, so she saw the thumbprint underneath them, mirroring the fading pressure she felt on her own arm.

She shuffled herself awkwardly on the bed until her legs were dangling from the opposite side to his, each of their left arms brushing lightly against one another. Their bruises were, as far as Clary could tell, identical, besides the fact that Clary's showed up much darker on her pale, freckled skin.

"How did you even figure this out?" she asked suddenly. Surely it would have taken two of them to notice the change?

"Izzy was here earlier, and she saw this." Jace held out one hand and showed four slices aligned across his fingers, the deepest set into his thumb. "Just like the cuts you have from your fight with Sebastian."

Clary held out her hand. Identical. "How did she know?"

"Izzy's a lot more observant than you give her credit for." He smirked half-heartedly. "And it makes sense. The evil bond I had with Sebastian was burnt out, but when you-" He swallowed again. "Stabbed me, with Glorious. The heavenly fire didn't just burn through me, it burned through you, too."

"And somehow connected us?" Clary concluded.

"I guess so." Jace nodded.

"Is this the only reason they were trying to keep us apart?" Clary felt her face flush with anger. "It would be safer to keep us together, wouldn't it? To protect us?"

"No." Jace said. "The further we are from each other, the weaker the bond is. See?" He held their hands beside each other, and Clary saw that her cuts were noticeably deeper than Jace's. "I guess, if we're far enough apart, we won't affect each other at all."

"But we can't just... just be apart for the rest of our lives!" Clary protested angrily, "That's not fair."

"It makes sense, Clary." Jace looked down at his hands. "If we're apart, it's twice as hard to kill us."

"Who wants us dead?" Clary paused. "Surely... surely Sebastian wants us alive? He wants us, he needs us."

"Clary." Jace said forcefully. "It's safer, for now, for us to be apart."

"Don't you want to be with me anymore?" she asked suddenly, feeling her eyes prick with tears in the panic.

"Of course I do." Jace whispered, "Of course I do." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. "It's killed me to be apart from you these past few days."

"Then-"

"And it's going to be agony staying away from you, now. But if that's what I have to do to keep you safe, I'll do it." He clenched his teeth.

"How long?" she asked, almost wincing.

"I don't know," he sighed, "until they figure out how to separate us?"

"And we can't see each other at all?" Clary asked.

"Not with the Clave's knowledge." said Jace, slyly. "They want to keep us apart because we're so important in finding Sebastian, I guess, but that doesn't mean we can't..." He raised his eyebrows.

"Sneak out?" A small smile crept to Clary's lips.

"Exactly my thinking." Jace murmured, lowering himself towards Clary's face.

Unable to stop herself, Clary leant up to meet him half way, pressing her lips softly against his, feeling a tidal wave of warmth spread through her as she relaxed into him, his arms closing around her waist. Clary never felt safer than when she was with Jace; but it was an illusion. Clary and Jace, together, had never been so vulnerable.

Unwrapping herself from him, Clary squeezed Jace's fingers tightly, before she stood up and made her way stiffly towards the door. Her hand loose around the handle, she took a backwards glance at Jace, the sparkling of his bronze hair in the sunlight, the saddened smile across his face, and the way his hand reached out for her, as though he were desperate for her to stay.

"I love you." Clary said.

"I love you, too."

**New chapter coming soon!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Two**

**Man's Greatest Foe**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

_Author's note: Thank you for your comments! I would love to reply to them, but I have opened a brand new account to start publishing this fic so I'm not allowed to reply, for 24 hours!_

Walking home from the institute, Clary felt positively deflated. They'd had enough trouble throughout their relationship thinking they were _related_ for half the time they'd known each other, and now this? Maybe Jocelyn was right. Maybe they just weren't meant to be together. Clary was so absorbed in her troubles that she missed the flash of glowing red hair crossing the street that, in any other circumstance, she would instantly have recognised as her mother.

"Mom." Clary said, startled. Though she had, technically, not been doing anything wrong, Clary knew that her mom would not be happy seeing her somewhere she wasn't expected. Jocelyn liked to know where Clary was as much as she could, and right now, she was supposed to be at Luke's. Not to mention her mother's obvious dislike for Jace.

"Clary." Jocelyn pulled down her hood and looked intensely at her daughter. "What are you doing out? I thought you were back at Luke's."

"I went to the institute."

Jocelyn's lips pursed at the thought, but she said nothing. "Well, I'm heading back there now. Subway?" Jocelyn proffered her right arm.

Clary took it hesitantly, but nodded. "Subway."

By the time they arrived, the sun had begun to set. Clary and Jocelyn watched it for a moment before ducking into the cavernous stairway down into the subway. Clary gazed over the small portion of the City that was visible from here, the wide streets and towering buildings, and wondered in which corners lurked demons she should be hunting at this very moment, greater demons, maybe even Sebastian?

"Do you think he's out there, somewhere?" Jocelyn said.

"What?" Clary snapped out of her reverie, startled.

"Jonathan." Jocelyn confirmed. She didn't look at Clary, only continued to star into the sunset. It was so rare for Clary to see her mother vulnerable like this, that all of a sudden she wasn't sure what to say. Jocelyn continued. "Do you think he's out there? Or gone, disappeared to some demon realm?"

Clary paused. "Possibly." she said carefully. It occurred to her that on the rare occasions she had seen this look upon her mother's face, she had always been talking about Sebastian.

"Come on." Jocelyn twitched her head by way of signalling Clary to follow.

Before Clary could say a word, her mother had disappeared down into the darkness of the subway.

Back at Luke's the, wedding plans continued. Magazines covered by airbrushed brides were strewn across the floor of the living room, mingled with fabric samples and brochures for flowers and wedding cakes.

"Jesus, it's like _Bridezillas_ in here." Simon said, stepping over an abnormally large stack bright white binders.

Clary and Luke simultaneously shot Simon looks of warning moments before Jocelyn's head snapped up and she glared at him in a manner usually saved for Clary's worst reprimands.

"Not good timing." Clary said loudly, picking her way through the mess to greet Simon. "Kitchen?"

"Sure." Simon nodded. Out in the hallway, the door closed firmly behind them, he added, "What was that all about?"

"Keep your voice down." Clary hissed. "And I don't know, I haven't been back long myself. Something to do with cake frosting."

"Ah, man's greatest foe." Simon said wistfully.

Clary thumped him. "It's not funny! Mom and Luke were trying to start this wedding thing to try and get things back to _normal_, not to turn them into Charles and Diana."

"Who?"

"It doesn't matter." Clary said frustratedly. She'd had enough stress for one day. "Do you want to go to Java Jones or something?"

Simon shrugged pulling a tired faced. "I've been out half the day."

Clary rolled her eyes. "Fine, then lets go through to the shop."

Taking care with their footsteps past the front room, where Jocelyn was talking rapidly into a cell phone whilst Luke soothingly rubbed between her shoulder blades. Simon raised his eyebrows at Clary as she pushed through the connecting door.

The bookshop was dark, the last strings of sunlight gleaming through the front windows. There was a dark shadow cast onto the floor, where the sunlight was blocked by a large "Closed" sign tacked to the door. Because Luke's shop sold used books it smelled like worn paper and old attics, a smell so familiar to Clary she instantly felt at home among the shelves. There was a box labelled "Clary" on the floor a few feet from the desk, with five or six books stacked within it.

Whilst Clary jumped to perch on the edge of the counter, Simon leant against an antique bookshelf that looked as though it might topple if he were much heavier. "So what happened with Jace earlier?" he asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Sort of." Clary contemplated whether or not she should tell Simon about her newfound heavenly connection with Jace. She had never spoken much about her relationship with Simon; a habit, she supposed, of hiding her feelings for so long before they discovered the truth about their heritage.

"What do you mean 'sort of'?" Simon asked. "Something's wrong, I can tell."

"You got me." Clary said lamely, but didn't elaborate.

"What is it?" Simon stood upright. "Clary, are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine." Clary lied. She wasn't hurt on the _outside_, at least. She struggled with where to start. "You know how... how Jace and Sebastian were connected? How if one of them got hurt, the other one would, too?"

"Yes." Simon said reproachfully.

"Well, that was burned out by Glorious, when I stabbed him."

"I know." Simon looked confused. "What's the problem?"

"It's just that, heavenly fire is so powerful, and... and when it went through Jace it must have bounced back somehow."

"Clary." Simon reached out for her shoulder, but she purposefully moved away. "What does the heavenly fire _do_?"

"It connected us." she said simply. "In the same way that Jace and Sebastian were connected." Simon looked too stricken to reply. Clary lifted up her sleeve, as though he somehow needed proof.

He put one hand to his mouth and rubbed it, looking up, down, everywhere but Clary. "Then what? Do we have to stab you now, too?" The joke wasn't funny.

"No. They don't know what to do, that's the thing." Clary checked herself. "Except to keep us apart."

Simon raised his eyebrows, silently asking her to elaborate.

"The further apart Jace and I are, the less we're affected by each other's injuries. So they're keeping us apart to keep us alive, basically." Clary put her head sloppily against Simon's shoulder. "Like we haven't been through enough already."

"I don't know what to say." Simon said.

"Neither do I." Clary replied. Because she honestly didn't.

That night, Clary dreamt of the demon Abbadon and the sunset above the subway with her mother. She dreamt of the Archangel Michael's sword sinking into Jace's chest, and the look in Sebastian's eyes the first moment he had laid eyes on her. She woke in the early hours of the morning, unable to sleep any longer, and turned on the light beside her bed. Staring into the dim light it emitted, Clary let herself fall into a hazy daydream of Jace's lips against her skin, the heat of his fingers and the feverish hunger it brought upon her. She thought about the way she would run her hands through his hair the following night, when she would finally set eyes on him again.

**New chapter coming soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Three**

**The Pull of Heavenly FIre**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Clary spent the day in a sort-of daze; answering questions on autopilot and moving like a sloth, sluggish from room to room, with no real purpose. On the inside, however, Clary was buzzing. Running through her mind like a constant pulse of electricity was _Jace, Jace, Jace_, all she could think about. For days after the battle she hadn't seen him, only to have ten minutes with him as he explained why they could no longer spend time together. But tonight would be different; tonight, she knew, they would finally have time to themselves. Alone.

Luckily, Jocelyn and Luke, upon hearing of their circumstances, assumed her absence of sorts was simply down to the shock, and never questioned her strange behaviour. As she curled up in her bed that night, Luke kissed her forehead and wished her goodnight, and Clary heard him reassure Jocelyn that she was okay before they retreated into the master bedroom. The moment the door closed, a sly grin broke out on Clary's face.

The hour Clary waited for her mom and Luke to fall asleep was torture. All she could do was lie alone and wait for the soft snores of her parents to drift through into her room, signalling she was safe to sneak out. When this moment finally came, Clary flipped back her duvet and swung her feet onto the cold floor, her heart beating double-time in wild anticipation. Adrenaline running hot through her body, she knelt down to retrieve the outfit she had earlier hidden underneath her bed, quickly slipping it on and leaving her pyjamas on the bed.

She sent a quick text to Jace: _Just leaving now_.

His reply came as quick as a flash: _Hurry_.

A gust of frigid air swept into the room as she pushed open the window, the sound of it startling her to slam it shut again. After listening again for Jocelyn and Luke sleeping she opened it again, this time a little more prepared, and gingerly lifted one leg out, lowering it until her toes touched the ground.

Clary didn't feel the full-force of the night's wind until she was around the front of the shop, and began to shiver as she headed for the subway. It was almost midnight, but for some reason, she didn't feel tired at all.

At the institute, Clary came upon a problem; anyone sleeping somewhere in the vast hallways of the cathedral would surely hear the clunk of their ancient elevator. Why hadn't they thought of this before? Clary couldn't think of any other way to reach Jace's room in the infirmary. She stood between the pews of the ornate cathedral, completely stuck to the point that she considered going home and calling Jace instead.

She thought about her seraphic talent of creating runes, but what rune could transport her to Jace's room? She considered creating a portal, but knew Jace wouldn't approve of such powerful magic for such a mundane circumstance. But this _wasn't_ a mundane circumstance; it was a desire more powerful than Clary had ever known, to be beside Jace. When her thoughts glided back to the runes, a thought struck her. Maybe she couldn't transport herself, but she couldn't... use an ordinary _soundless _rune on a creaking old elevator, could she?

Well, it was worth a shot, wasn't it? With a new burst of excitement Clary rushed over to the elevator, inscribing _soundless_ runes on its bars and walls with her mother's stele. Now what was there to do but test it? If it didn't work she would be caught, but not seeing Jace wasn't an option. Clary resolutely closed the elevator doors and pressed the button to ascend, and to her delight, not a single noise was made.

Walking swiftly past Izzy's room, and then Alec's, it occurred to her that she could have done with a _soundless _rune herself, but it was too late, now. It was only a couple of minutes' walk more to the infirmary, but it felt like an age to Clary, who didn't realise until she was feet from the door that she was sweating in anticipation. _God, that's sexy_, Clary thought sarcastically to herself, then tried to contain her smile as she thought about the sexual remarks Jace would have made if she'd said that out loud.

"Jace?" she whispered, lightly hitting the door with her fingers rather than a knuckle, so the sound didn't reverberate down the hallway.

The door swung open after mere seconds, and Jace pulled her into the infirmary by the wrists so quickly that she had to steady herself against his bed as he carefully shut the door behind her. "I thought I would hear the elevator." he said, walking towards her.

"I put a soundless rune on it." she said, "I didn't want to risk anyone else hearing it."

His eyes traced up and down her body before he spoke. "I've missed you." he said.

"How did you get rid of Alec?" Clary asked; Alec had been sleeping in the bed beside Jace ever since he'd woken.

"I told him he was being overprotective." Jace said. "You know he doesn't like to admit he has emotions."

Clary laughed. "Sometimes, I think you know him a little too well."

"Come here." Jace breathed, opening his arms.

Clary didn't hesitate; she stood from Jace's bed and fell into his arms. "I've missed you." She whispered against his chest, which was warm and smelled like lemon and the faint burn of a stele. "I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too, Clary." Jace's head bent down to kiss the top of her head in such a tender way she almost went weak at the knees. "I've barely slept thinking about you."

Clary looked up, but before she could say she hadn't either Jace kissed her, in a way he hadn't kissed her in far too long. His arms tightened around her until every point on her body was connected with his, and her arms came to twist around his neck. Jace's breathing grew harder as she twined her fingers in his hair, pulling on it softly and scratching the back of his neck.

"I love you." he whispered between kisses. "I love you, Clary Fray."

Clary pulled back. "I love you, too." She frowned, stepping backwards until her calves met the side of Jace's bed. "This feels different." she said.

Jace nodded, reaching out for her again in a way that seemed entirely involuntary. The moment they touched, the yearning subsided. "It's the fire." she whispered.

"What?" Jace asked.

"The heavenly fire." Clary whispered again, her voice still hoarse from the kiss. "It's drawing us together." Looking at their hands reaching out for one another and their entwined fingers, Clary realised that they were both glowing faintly with the power of it.

Jace's jaw stiffened as Clary let go of his hand. "I miss you already." He laughed hollowly at himself. "I can't..." Instead of finishing, he moved towards the bed, where Clary had sat down, and gently pushed at her shoulders until she fell back onto his pillow.

This time, when he kissed her, it was different. It was as though the heavenly fire was pouring from him into her, from her into him. As though their two worlds were colliding together so forcefully they were becoming a single being. Jace pulled away, the look in his eyes filled with desire and hope and the need to be close to her. One of his hands came to her face, and stroked her cheek more gently than Clary would have thought he was capable of. "Beautiful." he murmured.

Clary wasn't used to feeling such strong emotions, and had to hold back tears as she gazed into his eyes. "You, too." she whispered.

He smiled softly. "What?"

"You're beautiful, too."

Jace grinned. "Well, of course I am."

They both laughed, properly, this time, but in that moment Clary was disarmed and a tear spilled from one eye.

"Clary." Jace pulled away. "What's wrong?" He sounded hurt.

"Nothing." Clary sat up, trying to grab at Jace's shirt, but it was no use. "Nothing, I promise." she said, wiping her eyes. "I'm just so... overwhelmed." she finished.

"I was worried I'd upset you." Jace said, relief evident upon his face.

"No." Clary said, sitting up to face him in the faint glow of moonlight. "No." she said, smiling as she kissed him.

The moment their lips touched the spark between them grew into a blazing fire, feverishly drawing them together in a way Clary had never experienced before. Jace breathed harshly and nervously into her mouth as he reached for the hem of her shirt, teasing them both as he pulled it up, slowly, slowly, until he revealed her plain bra. Frustrated, Clary took it from him and pulled it over her own head, doing the same to Jace. They knelt before each other, bare skin pressed to bare skin.

Jace's skin was hot and anxious, his muscles so defined Clary could feel the dimples between them against her stomach. His hand traced down the side of her until they caught at the waistband of her genes.

"Jace, no." Clary whispered.

"No?" Jace asked, already lifting his hand to what was much more comfortable territory for Clary.

"Not yet." she whispered.

Jace nodded. "Okay." And he leant down to kiss her again, all the while keeping his hands safely against her back.

Hours later, Jace lay on his infirmary bed, wide-eyed and miles from sleep as Clary breathed heavily against his bare chest, out for the count. He wasn't sure how long he had been stroking her fiery hair, but he was sure he would never tire of it. Both of their jeans were slung across the end of his bed, and every time he caught sight of them it reminded him how little Clary was wearing. He couldn't help but look again. Her underwear was mismatched – spotted green underpants and a plain black bra – but he couldn't care less. She was _beautiful_. Almost so beautiful it took his breath away. Jace reached over to stroke her shoulders, thick with freckles, down to her lower back, where there were none. "Beautiful." he whispered.

**New chapter coming soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Four**

**Clary's last goodbye**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

_Author's note: A lot of people have been asking when the next chapter will be, etc. and I will try to put a new chapter up every day, because they're not long. However, they will be at a different time every day, and there will be some days I don't update. If you want to know when I've posted a new chapter you can find the link to my twitter on my profile, and I will always post there straight after I've updated! Thank you all for reading 3_

Clary's eyes fluttered open to find her face squashed awkwardly against Jace's bare chest. Her head rested between his body and tensed upper-arm, which was curled around her shoulder and reaching up to stroke her mane of hair. For a few moments she lay there, watching Jace stare wide-eyed at the ceiling, lit by the faint glow of heavenly fire and the pale moonlight filtering through the window. The warmth of his skin, ever startling, radiated through her, filling her up and making her feel more whole than she had felt in a long time.

"I haven't slept that well in weeks." Clary whispered.

Jace started. "I didn't realise you were awake." He didn't move his gaze from the ceiling.

"Only just." she said, trying to wriggle and stretch without moving away from him. "I'd better go, soon."

"No." Jace's arm tightened around her shoulder, and finally he looked at her. "I don't want you to go."

"I have to."

There was a long pause as they both fumbled for words, trying to fathom some way they could stay together like this, until they were ready to part. Clary wondered if they would _ever _be ready to part.

"I don't know what to." Jace's jaw tightened and he screwed his eyes shut. "I can't be apart from you."

"But Jace, the Clave..."

"_Screw_ the Clave."

Clary almost flinched. She knew the Clave hadn't exactly been on Jace's good side for a while, but she had never heard him be so resolute about it. "You don't mean that, you're just tired."

"I'm not, I'm furious." Jace unwound his arm from Clary and sat up beside her. "They're using us Clary, using us to find Sebastian. That's all they care about, they don't care about us."

"You know they care about us." Clary said, but even she was unsure. She sighed. "Well, what other choice do we have?"

"I don't know." Jace looked down.

Clary sat up beside Jace and reached out for him, aching to be held by him again. When he pulled her into his chest, she realised that, for the first time, she knew exactly what to do; somehow, they fitted together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. His neck was just the right shape for her cheek, and her shoulder fitted exactly into the crook of his arm.

"Just don't leave." he said. "Not yet."

"The longer we wait, the harder it will be." Clary whispered softly into his ear. "We aren't allowed to be together, Jace. We can't forget that."

"I've already told you to screw the Clave."

"That's not what I meant." Clary pulled away from Jace and looked up. "I don't want to stay away from each other for the Clave any more than you do." She took a deep breath. "But it_ is_ dangerous. Sebastian isn't exactly the most stable of villains, is he?"

"Villain?" Jace questioned, a smile coming to his lips.

Clary rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. What if he sees something that he doesn't like, and then comes on a killing rampage or something? We're an easy target, now. One good throw, and he has us both killed. At least if we were apart, he could only get one of us."

"But I don't want to live if you die, Clary." Jace's hand came to the back of Clary's neck and carefully ran his fingers forwards towards her collarbone. She realised he was shaking. "I don't want to live without you."

"Neither do I." Clary swallowed hard. "But we _have_ to."

"Why?"

"Because we are the only ones who can get to Sebastian." Clary said fiercely.

She was fierce, because Jace had no idea what she was planning.

He had no idea.

When Clary thought about what she was planning to do; to go after the Cup in the demon realms by herself, it made her want to say all sorts of goodbyes to Jace. She couldn't bear the thought of never seeing his face again. She had never imagined that he would not be cradling her in his pleading arms, or quietly hold her hand at her bedside when she died. Now, Clary was almost certain she would be dying alone.

Maybe she wasn't strong enough to kill Sebastian herself, but she could destroy the Cup. That would at least disarm him long enough for Jace, Izzy and Alec to track him down and kill him. The only problem with this plan was that the portal Clary had managed to create to transport her into the demon realms was one-way.

"What about after that?" Jace said. "If you and Sebastian were dead I would have nothing else to live for." He gripped Clary's hands, as though he could tell he was almost talking her out of what he would think was a ridiculous plan.

"Maybe you'll find someone else." Clary said, but the very thought brought tears to her eyes. "Maybe you'd fall in love again."

Only Clary knew that what she was saying wasn't hypothetical.

"Clary, why are we talking about this?" Jace asked, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I don't want to think about you dying. You _won't_." he insisted. "I will die first. That way, I'll never have to live without you."

Clary smiled weakly. "I don't know why we're talking about this." She shook her head. "You just have to_ promise_ me that you would keep going if I died. You are the only one Sebastian would trust."

Jace shook his head. "I don't... I don't know what I would do."

"Please, Jace. Promise me." Clary pleaded. "Alec and Izzy would help."

"I can't say I'll be happy." Jace said, looking down. "But I would. I would stay alive for Sebastian, and then for Izzy and Alec." He took a deep breath. "I promise."

**New chapter coming soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I have important exams coming up soon, so**from now on I'll only really update every two to five days**. Sorry! If you want to know when I've posted a new chapter you can **follow me on twitter** ( /athomeforpoirot) and I will post there as I update! Thank you all for reading 3

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Five**

**The Shadowhunter and the Vampire**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Clary left Jace at 5:04am, and didn't look back as she walked away from the institute. It was too painful. She told herself repeatedly that she had done the best she could, given the most definitive goodbye without letting Jace on to what she was doing, but in her heart, she knew it wasn't enough. It was sleeting, now, heavy, frosted drops of water landing on Clary's hood and soaking through to drip down her clothes and plundering into her face like the worst kind of pins and needles.

The weather was so loud she almost didn't hear the familiar tone of her cell phone. She stuck a frozen hand into her coat pocket to fish it out. It was Simon. _Couldn't sleep, so came over to Luke's to make sure you were okay. WHERE ARE YOU?_

Shit. Clary thought for a moment then hastily replied: _Couldn't sleep either, went out for a walk._

Before Simon's reply could filter through Clary had ducked down into the subway, and it wasn't until she resurfaced that she read it. _Don't believe you_.

All the way back to Luke's, Clary felt flustered with anxiety. What was she going to tell Simon? Whenever she tried to picture explaining to him what she and Jace were doing, the only reaction she could fathom was Simon storming off and reporting them to the Clave. She knew, really, that Simon wasn't the sort of best friend to do something so drastic, but he would do _something_.

When she crawled back through the living room window, Simon was stood silently by the door, waiting for her.

Clary moved slowly over to the bed, stripping off her coat and scarf, then sitting down to unlace her boots and slide them off, before she stood again and turned to face him. To Clary it felt like whole minutes that neither of them spoke, though it was only a matter of seconds.

"You were with Jace, weren't you?" Simon said stiffly.

Clary's instant reaction was to lie. "Of course I wasn't, Simon." she said bitterly. "Don't be stupid."

"Why else would you sneak out in the middle of the night?"

"I told you, I went for a walk. I couldn't sleep, just like you." Clary said defensively.

"Oh, _that's_ why you used the window." Simon replied sarcastically, clicking his fingers as though he'd just worked it all out.

"I just didn't want to wake mom and Luke."

Simon scoffed. "Clary, you're my best friend. I know when you're lying to me."

Reluctantly, Clary sat down onto the bed; and in not replying, she conceded.

"I don't get it." Simon sat down beside her, giving up on angry.

"I don't know why it's anything to do with _you_." Clary said, "But I have no other choice. The Clave won't let us see each other."

"I didn't mean that." Simon looked at her, a clash of frustration and hurt in his eyes. "I mean, I don't get why you didn't tell me in the first place. Or, at least, why you lied to me when I asked outright."

Clary had no reply. "I didn't know how you would react." she admitted.

"Oh, come on." Simon rolled his eyes. "I think the unrequited love thing is a little old now, don't you?"

"It's not that." Clary's fingers twisted nervously in her lap.

"Then what is it?"

"You've just... you've always been so _protective _over me." Clary said. "I wouldn't have been surprised if you'd hit the roof knowing I was basically risking my life to see a boy."

"I can't believe I'm about to say this." Simon said dryly. "But Jace isn't just 'a boy', is he? And-" he gave Clary a wary look, "-it's not _that _dangerous, is it?"

"Only if Sebastian decided to go on a killing rampage." Clary tried to sound light. "And even if Jace and I were worlds apart, it would still be fifty-fifty as to who he decided to kill first."

"Lovely."

"It's the truth." she continued. "But the Clave don't know Sebastian like we do. They don't seem to realise that – in whatever twisted way it is – Sebastian loves us. Or, at least, needs us."

"Are you _sure_?" Simon stressed.

"Yes." Clary said affirmatively; this much she knew for certain.

Simon shrugged stiffly. "Then see Jace."

Clary could tell he wasn't exactly happy about it, but she appreciated the effort he made to appear as though he was. "You can't tell anyone." she whispered. "Not even Izzy."

Simon rolled his eyes. "I won't."

"Are you going to get home? You'll be shattered." Clary said.

"Only if you want to go to sleep in peace." Simon replied. "I probably won't sleep again, either way."

"Me neither." Clary said. After sleeping for so many hours in the euphoric safety of Jace's embrace, how could she possibly fall back asleep, this time completely alone?

"Get in, then." Simon said, climbing onto Clary's bed and helping himself to her duvet. "We might as well keep toastie while we talk."

Clary laughed and climbed in beside him. They cuddled up to one side, though Simon could no longer keep her warm in the way he once had. Vampirism did that to you, Clary supposed. A faint _snap_ came from Simon, startling Clary so much she almost jumped out of Simon's embracing arms. She looked up, to see a faint streak of crimson across Simon's lips, where his fangs, now out of their sheaths, had cut him.

"Oh." Clary started again. "Hungry."

"Sorry." Simon whispered. "I'm not _that_ hungry, it's just being so close to a human..."

"Technically I'm just _half_ human," Clary said, "but I can move away, if you like?"

"Maybe you should." he said, "I don't want to hurt you."

"You wouldn't hurt me." Clary said at once, something she firmly believed.

Simon shook his head. "No, no, of course I wouldn't. I just want to keep you absolutely safe, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or, or..."

"Simon." Clary put one hand on Simon's cheek. "I trust you."

"Are you sure?" His pale face squinted.

"_Yes_." Clary insisted. "I trust you completely. I trust you more than I would trust _anyone else_ not to drink my blood." She checked herself. "Not that that's a huge concern with most of my other friends."

Simon laughed. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me."

Clary shook her head. "Don't thank me." she said, "You earned it yourself."

With that, Simon finally relaxed, resting his cheek upon Clary's head, and holding her tightly into his body. In return she wrapped her arms around his middle, a position so familiar to the both of them from when they were children that they could almost have slept right away. And the Shadowhunter and the vampire sat curled in the girl's bed until sunrise. They spoke about about all manner of things – Shadowhunter, vampire and mundane things – until the first rays of light began to appear across the city, and their lids fell too heavy to keep them awake.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	6. Chapter 6

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Six**

**Love, Clary**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

When Simon woke, he was alone. He sat up urgently, feeling across the bed to discover firstly, where he was, and secondly, why he was alone. It didn't_ feel_ right – he felt as though someone ought to be beside him. Feeling gingerly across the bed, he looked around the room to realise he was in Luke's living room. In a double bed. Then where was Clary?

His stomach dropped. "Clary?" His head whipped around, looking for signs that she might be in the kitchen or in the bookstore. Maybe he'd just overslept.

Simon climbed out of bed – fully dressed, he noted – his head beginning to de-fuzz, and noticed several things all at once; the fact that Clary's sneakers were missing, that the window was left ajar, and that there was a piece of folded paper on the left-hand pillow, crumpled where Simon had rolled onto it in his sleep. He dove back to the bed, snatching up the paper and almost tearing it in his haste to read. It wasn't a particularly long letter, but he read it five times over, sure he must have misunderstood something.

_Simon,_

_ There are so many things I wish I could say to you, but I don't have the words. I'm going after Sebastian and the cup. I'm the only one who can do it, and even though I'm hoping to destroy the infernal cup before he kills me, I know I can't defeat him. You've been the most amazing best friend, and I only wish I could have been the same in return._

_ I love you, Clary._

Simon was numb. He didn't even have the energy to cry, or feel angry. He only stood, and made his way around to the master bedroom where he knew Jocelyn and Luke slept, knocking softly on their door to wake them without taking his eyes away from the paper. There was only one thing he was really aware of. Clary was gone.

When Jace woke, he was alone. The first thing he did was reach down for Clary, who had been sleeping against his chest in a faraway dream. A deep, hollow sense of disappointment overcame him when he realised she wasn't there. Next, he turned over to find Alec, who had been sleeping on the bed beside him since he came to the infirmary, but soon remembered that he had sent him away. He wished his brother were there.

Footsteps pattered down the hallway outside. "Alec?" he called out, but he knew instantly the footsteps were too delicate to be his. Despite his shouting, the footsteps passed the infirmary without pause.

Jace climbed out of bed wearing only his boxers, but an alien feeling against his face made him turn back. There was a crumpled note on his pillow, a yellowed piece of paper folded in two. He recognised the paper instantly as the stuff kept in the draw of Luke's desk, hardly ever used, and his heart rate doubled. Why would Luke be leaving him a letter? Or was it someone else? He steadily reached out and took it, running his hands nervously through his hair. Something was wrong. He could sense it.

The first words of Clary's letter broke his heart._ I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you so soon..._ No. No, she wouldn't. What was she thinking?

_Jace,_

_ I can't believe I'm saying goodbye to you so soon. I'm already crying. If I had the choice, I would never have left you tonight, but I don't. I've figured out a way to find Sebastian but only my runes can do it, and only one-way. But that doesn't matter. Sebastian will kill me anyway. I only hope to destroy the infernal cup before he does, to slow him down while you go after him. You promised me you would._

_ Being in the infernal realms, I can only hope you won't be too hurt by whatever means Sebastian uses to kill me._

_ I love you, Jace. I love you more than there are stars in the sky. I would do anything in the world to keep you safe, but this is the best I can do. You can take down Sebastian yourself, I know it. And you won't just be saving our world. You'll be saving me. The only way I can die is knowing that you will defeat Sebastian in the end, but I trust you enough to leave the task behind._

_ I wish we had more time together, even one more night to say a real goodbye – but I know you would only make me stay. Please know that I love you. I have loved you from the moment we met, I have loved you since, and I will love you in death. I will spend my last moments thinking of you. I wish you could be with me when it happens, but I would not wish a life of demon fire upon anyone, much less you. You. Jace. Every time I think your name, my heart breaks again. But, isn't it true, that everyone deserves one great love in their lifetime? Well you were mine._

_ You were mine._

_ I love you, forever. Clary._

By the time Jace dropped the paper back onto his bed, it was dripping with his tears. How could she do that to him? How _dare_ she? He fell back onto his bed, curled into himself, pressing the paper to his face in case it held any trace of her sent. It didn't. All of a sudden, he had no reason to get better. He didn't even have a reason to get up. Clary was gone.

When Luke woke, he was alone. Sensing immediately a sense of disorder in his flat he swung out of bed and padded softly to the doorway. Why hadn't he woken when Jocelyn woke?

Pushing open the bedroom door, he heard and saw nothing. His heart now beating wildly he ventured further down the hallway, first checking the kitchen, which held no evidence of breakfast-making or coffee-drinking, then the living room. This is where he found her. Jocelyn was sat on Clary's bed, hunched over the edge and clutching her stomach. She was weeping. Had she and Clary fought? If so, why hadn't he heard them?

"Jocelyn?" Luke whispered.

She jumped a foot into the air, dropping the piece of paper she was holding. She scrambled hastily to retrieve it. When she finally turned towards him, he saw that her eyes were tired and blue underneath, her cheeks bright pink. She had been crying for some time. "Luke." she replied, harshly wiping the tears from her face.

"What's wrong? What happened?" he asked, "Where's Clary?"

At the mention of her name, Jocelyn began to weep all over again. She said nothing, only handed out a plain piece of yellowed paper to him, spotted with her tears.

_Mom,_

_ I'm sorry. I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am. I know how much losing your first child hurt you, and I can't believe I am doing that to you again. If I had a choice, please know I never would. Never. I am the only person who has the slightest chance of destroying the infernal cup, and I have to, I have to do it for the good of our world. It's what any other Shadowhunter would do. It's my duty._

_ I wish there was something else I could do, some way to come back to you, or leave a piece of myself behind to take care of you, but I can't. Take care of Luke for me. I hope you two are happy._

_ I love you both, so much. Clary._

The paper crumpled in Luke's hand. He sat down silently beside Jocelyn, and put his arm around her as she began to cry into him. What was there to do but cry? Clary was gone.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: Hey guys, thank you so much for being patient while I wrote the next chapter. It's been so long because I've been in hospital these past few days with no access to a computer (not gonna lie, I wasn't sure I would survive without one...), but I'm back now and writing again! I hope you enjoy it!

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Seven**

**The Darkness**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Having crept out of her bed before the sun had risen, Clary had travelled towards the centre of the city to Prospect Park, which was almost deserted at such an early hour. Now the sun was peaking over the horizon, sending streaks of golden light through the trees, illuminating her golden hair and skewing her vision. Her feet crunched through the leaves of late autumn as she searched for an ideal spot to perform her task.

It was a rather beautiful place, Clary thought, to spend her last moments. Her hands began to tremble – and not with the cold – as she brought out her mother's stele ready to open the new portal she had designed.

The first time she had opened the portal to where Sebastian was now hiding, she hadn't quite believed she'd done it. She'd known, though, from the moment she'd designed this unstable pathway, that it would be a one-way trip. There was no way that Clary could keep this portal open the entire time she was tracking down the infernal cup, and once she was through, the seraphic power of her stele would no longer work. Not in the demon realms.

It took Clary almost an hour to conjure such complicated runes onto the rough bark of the trees growing in Prospect Park, but she had found this was the best way to create such a complex portal – perhaps it was to do with the pureness of evergreens contrasting with the dark magic of the demon realms. Once they were drawn, she had only to stand back and watch as the thin beams of light joined each rune in a complex spider web, one by one, until the ritual was complete, and the small pieces of being that weren't covered by the strands no longer showed the dawning fields of Prospect Park.

There was a rustle of something behind her, perhaps a squirrel darting up a tree or leaves brushing in the faint wind, which sent a chill down Clary's spine. Her heart was pounding. Now it came to it, she wasn't so sure she would be able to do this without crying.

Images flashed across her vision of those she was leaving behind; Jace, and the last moments she saw him, sleeping soundly in the infirmary of the Institute; Jocelyn's bright hair splayed across her pillow, Luke's arm draped protectively over her middle as they slept; Simon, alone in her bed, sprawled across both sides and straight over the letter she had left for him...

_No_, Clary told herself, _I have to do this._ If she left it much longer, she wasn't sure she would have the courage to do it at all. What if Sebastian killed her the moment she stepped through the portal, and she had sacrificed herself for nothing? What if Shadowhunters couldn't survive in the demon realms, and she suffocated, desperate and alone? What if...

Closing her eyes and pushing her fears aside, Clary steeled herself and stepped forwards, into the portal, before she could change her mind.

The first sensation Clary had was a sense of falling, familiar to stepping through a regular portal. Though she had instinctively closed her eyes, she forced herself to peel them open, and saw only a blur of sharp angles and demonic colours; the deep crimson of blood, the black of Sebastian's eyes... and before she knew it, a hand was closing around her arm. A pale, veiny arm had struck out from the abyss and grabbed hold of her, pulling her with no mercy through the waterfall of the underworld. Clary tried to scream out, but no words would come. All she could do was close her eyes, and wait for darkness to end.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	8. Chapter 8

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Eight**

**No Ordinary Portal**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

"What do we do?" Simon asked the moment Jocelyn had read the letter, left for her by Clary.

Jocelyn shook her head. "Find her?" Her hands crumpled around the paper convulsively.

"How?" Simon asked. "Tracking rune?"

She shook her head. "Clary's too clever for that."

"I thought you couldn't block tracking runes?" Simon asked, confused.

"And I thought you couldn't create _new _ones." Jocelyn looked at him pointedly, and he realised what she was trying to say; Clary's relationship with runes wasn't exactly... normal, to say the least.

"Then what?" Simon asked, growing more desperate. The thought of losing Clary hadn't quite hit him; he was only determined to save her, to find her before it was too late. "We need a plan."

Jocelyn slumped down onto Clary's bed with a painful thump. She put one hand across her forehead. "We have to figure out where she went." she said. "If you were going to create some," she made a wide, flippant gesture, "otherworldly portal, where would you do it?"

Simon thought for a few moments. "Somewhere people wouldn't think to look for me... somewhere concealed, to keep out of the way of mundanes..." He trailed off. There was nothing else he could think of.

"We need Jace." Jocelyn murmured.

"What?" Simon said, disbelieving. He couldn't recall ever having heard Jocelyn say something positive about Jace before, never mind that they _needed_ him.

"You have to admit it." She sounded resigned. "Jace knows Clary better than anyone. And, he's smart. He'll be able to..."

Neither of them said anything else. They both knew that, no matter how smart Jace was, he wasn't psychic. His guess as to where Clary was was as good as theirs. Nevertheless, Simon walked over to Clary's satchel, sitting so ordinarily by the door, and pulled out her cell. His heart sank – he had, until now, held the hope that she still had it on her, that he could somehow call her and convince her to change her mind. Not that anybody _could_ change Clary's mind.

He flipped open her phone with ease, and opened her recently called contacts. No surprise, Jace was the first name on the list, and he clicked it without hesitating.

Jace picked up halfway through the first ring. "Simon, what the hell?" He could almost see Jace running his fingers through his hair. His voice was all business, no arrogance. "I got a letter from Clary, she said-" He broke off.

"What do we do?" Simon asked immediately. "We need to do something. Do you think we'll be able to track her?"

"Maybe." Jace said. "Maybe not. I can try. Get her mom to try, too."

"What can I do?" he asked.

A hint of Jace's arrogance came back into his voice. "Keep out of the way."

Simon hung up before Jace had the chance, and turned to Jocelyn. "Jace thinks we might still be able to track her. He said to try."

"Okay." Jocelyn stood up, and began to fumble around the room, looking for something with a personal attachment to Clary.

Simon stooped and stuck his hand into Clary's backpack, and was in front of Jocelyn before she'd made it to the door. "Here." he said softly, handing over Clary's sketchbook. He could think of nothing Clary was more attached to.

"Right." she stared down at it, her hands still shaking. "Right." She turned around, fumbling for her stele in her pocket whilst simultaneously making to sit on the bed.

Simon watched, fascinated, as Jocelyn held the book – a little more steadily, now – in her left hand, and traced a delicate rune onto the back. She took a sharp in-breath and her eyes flew shut, and Simon knew immediately that the tracking had worked.

"Prospect Park." Jocelyn whispered, recognising the view behind her eyelids. "She's in Prospect Park."

"What's she doing?"

"Drawing..." Jocelyn whispered again, "Drawing runes on trees..."

"Where?" Simon insisted, no longer able to stand sitting down. He bounced to his feet and began to pace the length of the room, three times as fast as a human would.

"Near the Parkside entrance." Jocelyn looked up.

"I'll go." Simon said, picking Clary's cell phone back up and stuffing it roughly into his pocket.

"No, Simon, I have to-"

"I'll get there five times faster." he told her. "It has to be me."

"Prospect Park." Jace said into his cell the moment Simon picked up.

Simon smiled. "I'm already on my way." Jace could hear the crackle of wind on Simon's end, but it took him a moment to realise why he didn't sound at all out of breath.

"So am I." he replied.

The two boys said nothing more than that, but neither hung up the phone as they raced across town, each determined to find Clary first.

"Where are you?" Jace asked as he darted into the park, skidding slightly on the slick wet grass as he took a shortcut across the fields.

"I'm here." Simon said, his voice no longer muffled by the crackle of wind.

"And?" Jace asked, breathless and panicked. "Is she there? Did you stop her? What's going on?"

Realising that this may not be as simple a task as he'd thought Jace resumed running, taking off at lightening speed towards the area he'd seen in his vision.

"I can't see her anywhere." Simon said as Jace entered the familiar wooded area.

"I'm just arriving now, I don't... where _are_ you?" he asked, frustrated.

"Here." Simon's voice no longer came through his cell, but from right behind him.

Jace whipped around to find Simon standing behind him, as silent as ever. "Where is Clary?" he asked.

"Keep your voice down." Simon hissed.

"Right." Jace whispered. "Sorry."

"If Clary hears us talking, she'll jump straight through the portal, finished or not. You know that."

"I know." Jace said through gritted teeth.

As they crept together through the woods Simon was perfectly silent, but Jace's boots still squelched in the sodden leaves underfoot. "Can't you walk a bit more quietly?"

Jace rolled his eyes, stopping in his tracks. "Hang on." Lazily pulling out his stele he carved a rune of silence into his forearm, finishing it with a flourish. They continued walking. "Better?" he asked.

"Better." Simon said sternly. Suddenly, he held one hand out across Jace's chest. "Wait."

Jace, for a moment, envied Simon's vampire hearing. "What?"

"I think I can hear something." He seemed to be concentrating hard. Beckoning Jace without looking back at him, he changed their direction through the woods and deeper into the greenery. Holding back a branch for Jace to see, he revealed Clary, standing before a perfectly drawn portal.

"That portal is finished." Jace said instantly. "She's going to step through it, use it any-"

Clary stepped through the portal.

"NO!" Simon shouted, whilst Jace yelped and leapt out of the bushes, gunning for the portal. The ground fell from underneath him as he leapt through it, the wind howling after him.

This was like no ordinary portal. Instead of floating and bluish light surrounding him Jace could see only red and black and every shade of brown in between, his hands flailing as he fell into darkness. He tried desperately to hold the image of where the portal had begun in his mind, whilst reaching out for Clary at the same time. Finally, _finally_, he grabbed hold of her wrist, his fingers digging harshly into her skin. He was not letting her go. He felt the bruising appear on his own forearm – right beside one another, his wounds were as bad as hers – but persisted.

There was only one question now; was he close enough to pull Clary back into human world, or were they too late? Could he keep her safe, or would they end up trapped in the demon realms – with _Sebastian_?

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Thank you so much for all your positive messages and reviews! They keep me going! I hope everyone is enjoying the real City of Heavenly Fire (apart from here in the UK, we don't get it until tomorrow).

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Nine**

**Die Happy**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Something was wrong. Clary could feel the tight grip on her arm beginning to loosen as she was thrust through the portal – surely Sebastian was stronger than to let go? Her hair whipped violently across her face and the pull of the demon realms tugged on her limbs as they continued to fall. Using all of her strength, Clary reached up to swipe hair from her eyes to catch another glimpse of the hand wrapped around her forearm. Purpling, finger-shaped bruises were beginning to climb up the wrist, and Clary realised who at once was holding onto her.

How he had found her, she didn't know. Why he had jumped into the portal after her, she had no clue. All Clary knew was that she_ had_ to make him let go, and somehow direct him back towards the entrance of the portal before he followed her into the darkness.

"JACE." she screamed, but her voice was lost even to her own ears; how was he to hear her? "_Jace_." she screamed again, for comfort more than anything else. "Let go, let go, let go." Clary put all her might into pulling her wrist from Jace's grasp, spidery veins appearing on the surface of his skin with the effort of holding on.

"_Clary_." A voice came through the void, somehow whispering to her despite the cacophonous noise. The voice was Simon's.

It was around then that Clary began to realise, with the unlikelihood of both Jace and Simon having found her, that she was probably dying. It was true that she'd had no idea if a Shadowhunter could survive in the demon realms – now she was discovering the answer. _I'm dying_. She was sure of it, now.

Clary knew what you were supposed to do if you saw the people you loved in death – though she hadn't given much thought to what might happen when the time finally came, she had seen enough movies depicting such events – you were supposed to follow them. With a deep breath and a final glance over her shoulder into the void, Clary relaxed her body and allowed herself to be pulled back into the light by Jace's guiding hand. _If I die by his side_, Clary thought, _I will die happy_.

As the all-encompassing light blinded her, Clary closed her eyes and let herself drift through the empty space. At some point along their way, Jace's hand had loosened on her arm, finally trusting that she would no longer struggle, and slipped down to lace its fingers between hers.

"Clary." she heard Simon call.

"Clary?" It was her mother, this time, and Clary became absolutely sure she was dead.

_I'm not scared,_ she realised. Why wasn't she scared, dying at the age of sixteen? The only answer she came up with: Jace.

All of a sudden, with a clamorous thump, Clary hit something of a wall with every bit of one side, from her temple to her toes. It came as such a shock to her that it took her a few moments to realise the world around her was no longer spinning, and the blinding light before her was beginning to fade into an image of... _Prospect Park_. A sudden wave of anger jerked through Clary, absurd as it was, that she wasn't dying. She was all too alive.

Unable to sit upright, Clary curled on one side, taking in her surroundings. A few metres in front of her, Jocelyn was on her knees, weeping at the comfort of Simon stooping behind her, rubbing her back awkwardly. A little to the right stood Jace, his back against a tree, hunched over and panting with the effort of pulling her back through the portal.

They stayed like this for minutes, nobody moving, nobody saying anything. Jace's breathing returned to normal, Jocelyn's weeping subsided, and Simon backed away, resting up against a tree of his own. Almost all at once, the three people she loved most in the world turned on her, each of them with a glare that cut through her middle.

Her mother spoke first. "How could you?" Jocelyn's voice wasn't cold, or angry. It was blank with relief, leaving no room for other emotions. "How could you?" she said again.

"What," Jace took a deep, angry breath through gritted teeth, "were you thinking?" he seethed. Apparently, Jace still had the emotional capacity to be angry, despite their ordeal.

Clary tried to speak, but no words came. Her throat felt as though it had been burnt through, drier than it had ever felt and copper-tasting with wounds.

Simon stepped forwards, holding out one hand. "Don't." he said. "We need to get her back to the Institute, arguing isn't going to help anything."

Jocelyn looked up all of a sudden, her eyes raw. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's trying to speak but all she can do is cough up blood." Simon said.

"I'll get her." Jace said, standing straight and walking towards Clary.

As Clary was watching Jace head for her, she felt herself lifted from behind. "I've got her." said Simon from above.

"What?" Jace protested. "No, I can do it."

"Firstly, you're forbidden by the Clave to see each other." Simon argued, "Secondly, you're completely worn out from pulling her through the Portal, and thirdly, I've got vampire strength."

Clary thought Simon sounded a little more pleased about the latter than he ought to be. "Fine." Jace held his hands out frustratedly.

"How do we get back?" Simon asked.

"Subway?" Jace suggested, but Jocelyn interrupted.

"Luke's already on his way in the truck." she said, speaking assertively for the first time since she'd arrived. "In fact, if we don't get out there quickly he'll probably park up and come looking for us."

"I'm on it." Simon said, and, gingerly handing Clary over to her mother, sped off at vampire-speed towards the edge of the road.

Moments later, Clary began to feel the steady rocking of her mother's brisk walking as she chattered inanely to Jace about the inside of Clary's portal, which had closed shortly after their return. Walking out onto the street Jocelyn yelped as she, Clary and Jace simultaneously spotted Luke's truck idling awkwardly on a piece of pavement between Ocean Avenue and Parkside Avenue, morning cyclists tinkling and shouting as they made to swerve around him.

"Clary!" Luke ran towards them, taking Clary from Jocelyn's arms and running back to the truck with her wrapped in his arms, laying her down in the back and jumping into the driver's seat.

The moment Jocelyn had jumped into the front cab with him he sped off towards the Institute, and Clary's world faded to black.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	10. Chapter 10

Author's note: I'm really sorry it's been so long since I've updated! I've been busy with the real City of Heavenly Fire and exams!

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Ten**

**Poison**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

As Clary slowly woke, fragments of conversation came to her. The first words she was aware of were Isabelle's; "Oh, Clary." she said. "What were you thinking?"

_I was thinking of saving the human race,_ Clary wanted to reply, but the words disappeared at her lips.

Back in her hazel twilight of dreams, Clary felt Isabelle stroking a strand of impossibly curly hair from her face, and as she stepped back Clary opened her eyes. To her surprise, she was standing, in a room swirling with violet curlicues, Isabelle facing her dressed in full Shadowhunter gear, not unlike the clothes she was wearing the night they met. Clary blinked and she was looking at Max, looking up at her with huge eyes and empty hands. _I wanted to take him to forbidden planet_…

"You have to do something else." This time, Jocelyn's voice spoke, with a clarity of realness that let Clary know her mother really was at her bedside. "You have to wake her up. We can't keep her safe when she's so vulnerable."

"I'm doing all I can, Jocelyn." She was talking to Magnus. "No human being has ever survived the demon realms before."

"But she didn't… she didn't quite make it there though, did she?"

"I would assume not, given that she's still alive."

Clary heard a puff of air escape the chair at her bedside as someone flopped back into it. "I'm just starting to realise what it was like for her, all those weeks, at _my_ bedside."

"Jocelyn." Magnus's voice faded with footsteps. "If she really wants to wake up, she will."

Though she knew they could only be fading away, Clary heard Magnus's footsteps grow and grow until they were louder than the ticking of a grandfather clock, a clock which appeared beside her as she turned. The clock showed a time of twelve o' clock exactly, which struck Clary as rather cliché, and with such focus on the time, Clary barely noticed her surroundings evolving.

"Clary?"

Clary's head whipped around. "Simon?" Before another word could be uttered Clary had flung herself into Simon's arms. His vampire strength allowed him to pick her up and whirl her around, so quickly that she had to close her eyes, and when she opened them the grandfather clock had disappeared and they were in the Accords Hall of Alicante.

Pulling away from him, Clary noticed that Simon was wearing the most mundane of evening suits, shoes shining, his usually dishevelled hair slicked into place. "What are you wearing?" She laughed.

"What are you wearing?" Simon replied, causing Clary to look down at herself.

To her utter surprise, Clary was not in evening attire but a hospital gown with a generic blue print, papery pyjamas on her feet, and a drip protruding from the inside of her right elbow, trailing to the floor and disappearing somewhere far behind her.

"And what's happened to your hair?" Simon added as an afterthought.

Clary didn't hesitate to reply. "I'm in a coma, Simon, what do you expect?"  
Simon's face dropped. "You're… you're what?" Before Clary had time to further explain the Accords Hall around her disappeared, taking Simon with it.

"Clary." Jace's voice pierced through oblivion. "Clary, please. Wake up? I need you."

Clary wasn't sure she'd ever be entirely sure whether Jace's angelic voice was real or imaginary.

Either way, there were tears in his voice. "Clary." It was as though he couldn't stop saying her name. She very faintly felt Jace pull her hand from the bed and take it in his own, rubbing her fingers soothingly, lulling her back to sleep.

"It's been days." The next voice to come was Alec's, and though it felt as though only seconds had passed, Clary was aware that hours, possibly even days had gone by since she had begun to wake. "Do you… do you think she'll ever wake up?"

"It's hard to say." Magnus, again. "I hear she was a pretty tough cookie when she was struck by that Ravenor demon back when you all thought she was a mundane. And that was without any training."

"But they even let Jace in to see her yesterday, and they're supposed to be being kept at opposite sides of the city. That's not good, right?" Alec's voice, surprisingly to Clary, sounded extremely worried.

"I just don't know, Alec. Okay?" Magnus's voice sounded tense. "No, it's not a good sign that Jace was allowed to… 'say goodbye', as they put it. But it is a good sign that Clary managed to make some sort of noise earlier. It could mean that she can hear us talking. So shut it."

"Sorry, Clary." Alec said remorsefully.

If she had been able to, Clary might have laughed.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	11. Chapter 11

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Eleven**

**Waking**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Jace, sat by Clary's bed, put his head into his hands. It was past midnight, and the Institute had been silent when he'd crept in to see her in the infirmary. Despite how much it hurt him to see her lie motionless before him, he couldn't keep himself away. Nothing could.

The theory had been that, because it was Jace who had kept hold of their tether to the human world as they flew through the portal, he was unaffected by the poison of the demon realm. As far as they'd come, however, they couldn't understand why Jace hadn't been affected because of his heavenly connection to Clary. If he was cut, she too bore the wound, if she bruised, so did he. So why wasn't he as sick as she was? Why was this in any way fair? _Why _should he have to sit here, perfectly fine, watching his beautiful Clary sunken into a coma and wishing he could take her place?

Jace looked up through the window, catching a small square of the beautiful New York skyline between the curtains, lit up in orange and red the way Idris had been during the fight against Valentine. The thought made a shiver run down his spine, an icy white that only appeared at the thought of his adoptive father.

"Clary." he whispered. "My Clary."

Although none of the machines around her were in any way attached, they set Jace on edge. It unnerved him that Magnus had put Clary on one of the few beds they had with mundane hospital equipment, for situations in which warlock magic or runes had no effect. Could it be that they really thought Clary wouldn't wake up, that they thought she would be asleep for so long she would eventually need breathing equipment, a feeding tube?

He couldn't bear the thought of seeing Clary, such a delicate frame, kept alive by only machines, quelling her strong heart. Snapping Jace out of his reverie, Clary's head twitched almost imperceptibly and she made a low, almost whining noise.

Jace was immediately alert, moving closer towards her and stroking her hair, splayed across the pillow in rivulets. "Clary? Can you hear me?" he whispered a little more loudly. "Do that again. Can you do that again?"

Nothing.

"Jace?" A sharp voice pierced Jace's ears, and his head whipped around.

"Izzy." he whispered. "What are you doing here?"

Izzy's hair was mussed as though she hadn't long woken, and her eyelids were low. "I had a dream." she murmured. "About Clary. Came to check on her."

"She just moved." he told her, "I asked her to do it again, but she couldn't. I don't know if she can hear me or…"

"Magnus said that she can probably hear us." Izzy whispered.

Jace nodded. "But he doesn't know everything."

There was silence for a moment as Isabelle began to realise that Jace shouldn't have been there at all, and Jace realised that if it had been anyone but Izzy or Alec, he would have been reported to the Clave.

"Why are you here?" she whispered.

"I had to see her again." Jace strained to stop his voice from cracking as he spoke.

Izzy nodded, sitting down beside Jace in another of the hard, plastic chairs they kept in the infirmary for visitors. "She will wake up, you know."

His eyes flicked up in surprise. "What?"

"Don't you remember the ravenor?" she asked him, and he felt his eyes narrow. "Clary was fifteen, she had no runes whatsoever, and no Shadowhunter training. She _killed_ a ravenor demon after it bit her, and you brought her here to die. She was asleep for three days before she woke up, but the point is that she did wake up. She's a fighter Jace, and we both know it."

"But she's been sleeping for four days now." he whispered again.

"That's beside the point." Izzy stood up again, clearly unable to keep still. "The point is that she got through that, and she'll get through this." Her eyes were beginning to pool with tears.

"That was a ravenor. This was an entire demon realm."

"But she's stronger now." Izzy said, counting off on her fingers. "She has the heavenly fire inside her, she has runes, she's been trained, _by you_…"

Jace took his sister by the hand and pulled her back into the seat beside him. Her head came to his chest and his arm fell naturally around her. Isabelle's tears dripped onto his pale blue shirt. "What is it, Iz?"

"I wanted her to be my_ parabatai_." she whispered. "Now… now we might never get the chance."

"I didn't-" Jace swallowed, took a breath, then tried again. "You just said yourself that she's a fighter. She'll pull through, won't she?"

Isabelle looked up at Jace and nodded, but the tears in her eyes told him that, perhaps, she feared they were wrong.

Out of nowhere a deep, aching sensation gripped Jace, so intense that he doubled over where he sat, gripping onto the side of Clary's bed to keep himself steady. It took all he had not to cry out in pain.

"Jace?" Isabelle hissed, taking him under the arms for support. "Jace, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Fine." he whispered hoarsely. "I'm fine."

Despite his best efforts not to worry Isabelle, he knew he was having no luck in hiding how much pain he was in. It was as though somebody was sticking their hand into his chest and trying to rip out his heart, or sucking out every ounce of emotional energy he had left, draining him to nothing. But as was beginning to think he could no longer bear the pain, that some noise at least would come out of him and others in the Institute would come running, the pain left, as quickly as it had come.

"What was that?" Isabelle whispered to him as he sat up, her hands gingerly on his shoulders as if worried he would fall forwards again.

"I don't know." he whispered hoarsely, so caught up in the unfamiliarity of it that he didn't notice Clary's eyes flutter open, and only realised she was awake when she sat up, looking bewilderedly at the two.

"Clary." Isabelle said, amazed.

"You're awake…" Jace whispered. In the distance a bell began to ring through the Institute and he looked around, bewildered.

"_Shit_." Isabelle hissed, "That's an alarm."

Jace stood instinctively from his seat. "An alarm for what?"

"For Clary." Isabelle whispered, "To alert someone when she woke up, in case she needed care or runes or medicine. We weren't supposed to be here."

Clary looked up at Jace and reached out for him weakly. He went to her immediately, taking her hands, and bent down to kiss her on the forehead. "I love you." he whispered to her.

"I love you, too." she said hoarsely, "But someone from the Conclave will be coming. And you have to run."

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	12. Chapter 12

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Twelve**

**Trapped**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Jace was aware of one thing: If he was caught visiting Clary by the Conclave, there was no telling the lengths they would go to to make sure it never happened again. Kissing Clary one last time on the forehead he lunged for the door, yanking it open so hard the hinges creaked. He poked his head eagerly out into the hallway. Voices were raised, echoing upwards from the residential wing, but the corridor was, for now, deserted. Taking his chance he flung himself out into the darkness, pounding in the opposite direction as lightly as he could until he was safely out of sight.

Yanking his stele from his belt he hastily finished a rune for stamina on his forearm, then one for quietude beside it. Not even taking the time to replace it he took off again, stele in hand, rendering it his one and only weapon; not that he would dare to use one against the Conclave, but having a weapon to hand was often the only thing that could calm him without Clary at his side.

Jace skidded to a halt half way down the hall and darted into a small corridor leading off to the right, but quickly retraced his steps at the sound of voices, woken by the alarm.

Although the higher-status Conclave members were the ones he most wanted to avoid, if he was caught by a Shadowhunter happening to have sought safety at the Institute, he would be in just as much trouble. Unable to go back the way he came for fear of being found too close to the infirmary Jace carried on down the corridor, away from Clary _and_ the elevator, his only way out.

Having lived in the Institute since he was ten Jace knew the layout like the back of his hand, but this made it no easier to plan a route to the exit that would be sure to keep him out of sight. The fact of the matter was that, whichever way he ran, the elevator would be at the epicentre of the chaos, every Shadowhunter in the Institute running towards the entrance to find the source of alarm. Clary hadn't really been expected to wake at all, meaning knowledge of her alarm would be limited, most people assuming it signalled an attack from Sebastian, or a gravely endangered Shadowhunter.

Jace, backing into a corner, realised the truth; he was stuck.

A few seconds after Jace had taken off, flying soundlessly down the corridor, a stream of four or five Conclave members had tumbling tiredly into her room, startled to find Isabelle already at her bedside. _Ha,_ she thought_, imagine if they knew who was here ten seconds ago_.

"Isabelle, what are you doing here?" Maryse asked breathlessly.

"I couldn't sleep," she replied without hesitation, "so I came to sit with Clary."

After a few moments of deliberative looks passed between the bewildered Shadowhunters, they seemed to accept that she was telling the truth.

"Clary, how are you feeling?" Maryse turned to her.

"Fine." She stretched groggily, letting out a deservedly large yawn. "Just… _exhausted_."

A general mumble of, "Well, that's to be expected." came from the group.

"Is there anything we can do for you?" asked a particularly tall, greying woman Clary didn't recognise.

She shook her head. "Some food and water wouldn't go amiss, but I can wait until morning."

"Of course you can't." Isabelle stood up, "I'll get you something." she said briskly, and darted from the room without so much as a cursory glance at her mother.

Clary looked awkwardly up at the Shadowhunters.

"Well." Someone clapped their hands softly. "I suppose there isn't much more we can do for you, Clary."

"Surely she needs monitoring?" Maryse turned around, astonished. "The girl's just returned from the _demon realms_. Doesn't that mean anything to any of you?"

"Honestly, Maryse, I feel fine." Clary said politely, though she was secretly grateful that Isabelle was to bring her something to eat and drink. She was ravenous, and so parched even talking was difficult, her tongue sticky and rough like sandpaper. "You should all go back to bed, there was no need for you to have come."

"That's not true." the greying woman piped up again, "We had no idea what sort of attention you'd need if you woke up." Clary stiffened at the word "if."

"When you woke up." Maryse corrected dryly. "_When_."

Jace tensed at the sound of the Infirmary door opening, and automatically prepared himself for battle when footsteps came his way. His head whipped around frantically, looking for somewhere to hide, but the few doors around him gave way only to small offices, and were all locked with powerful runes that would take more than a few seconds to counteract.

Beginning to truly panic for the first time in so long it caught him off-guard, he turned towards where the footsteps were coming from ready to confront them. It was only when he did this that he focussed enough to realise that the footsteps were not loud and purposeful like those of most members of the Clave, but secretive and quick, the footsteps of someone he knew well.

"Isabelle." he whispered before she had even turned the corner.

As she appeared, she called his name back and quickened to meet him.

"You have no idea how glad I am to see you." Jace took a few steps forward and then, much to his own surprise, he was embracing her, burying his face in his sister's neck. "I thought it was someone from the Clave, or someone who would report that I was here…" he trailed off.

"Jace Herondale in a panic." Isabelle smiled at him, "I never thought I'd see the day."

Jace rolled his eyes, pulling himself up to his usual height and plastering back on his charming exterior. "I wasn't panicking." he insisted.

"Sure, sure." Isabelle nodded sarcastically. "Now, look, I don't think anyone is going to come around here, but we need to find somewhere for you to hide while everyone goes back to sleep. The foyer is going to be packed for ages."

"I know." Jace hissed, "But all of these doors are locked."

"Then come back to the residential wing, you can stay in one of the bedrooms there. In fact, you can stay with me. Or Alec."

"There'll be too many people." Jace shook his head.

"Not if we stay here for a few more minutes." she insisted, "Mum and the others are probably already on their way to tell them there's nothing to worry about."

Jace nodded, suddenly realising how tired he was. "Alright, fine." He slumped against the wall behind him and slid down it until he was on the floor. "You have no idea how tempted I'm going to be to see Clary again."

"You can't." Isabelle hissed, "There will be people going to check on her every five minutes tonight, you know that."

"I know." Jace put his head in his hands. "I know, I just want to see her."

Isabelle closed her eyes and nodded. "Tomorrow." she whispered.

"Tomorrow." Jace agreed.

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


	13. Chapter 13

_Alternative ending to City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments)_

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Don't Tell the Clave**

I do not own any of these characters or any of the Mortal Instruments books, they all belong to the wonderful Cassandra Clare!

Jace lay soundlessly awake beside Isabelle on her bed, listening to her breath deeply in her sleep and wishing he could do the same. He knew with all reason that if he were to sleep, morning - and Clary - would come so much sooner, but he couldn't stop his heart from pounding, thrumming adrenaline through his veins.

_Clary_, his eyes fluttered closed, _my Clary is awake_. A new wave of relief floods through him, knowing that she is safe. Despite his optimism, Jace had known somewhere deep within him that Clary may never wake. He had known that no Shadowhunter had ever survived the demon realms before. He had known that, no matter how strong she was, simple laws of survival meant that she should not have survived.

Jace wondered what this might mean for their future. He knew the Clave; if they had the chance, they would turn Clary into a lab rat, poking and prodding and testing on her until they figured out what it was that had made her survive. If they could do that, they could send Shadowhunters into the demon realms after Sebastian, where he would never expect them. It may be their only chance. Would he let that happen? Could Jace let his Clary be taken away from him, to save the world? Did he have a choice? The thought of Clary being used like that was torturous, but it was their only chance to beat Sebastian. Jace had never felt so conflicted.

Isabelle stirred in her sleep, rolling away from him. "Simon?" she whispered, reaching out behind her.

"Iz." Jace whispered, putting his hand on hers, "It's me."

"Jace?" she rolled over, looking up at him, perplexed. "Oh God… Why are you here?" She covered her face with her hands.

"No, Iz." Jace laughed, and reached out to pull her hands away from her face. "Remember last night? Clary woke up." He couldn't help the excitement in his voice.

"Oh." Her eyes widened. "Oh." She sat up.

"Yeah."

"You're not supposed to be here." Isabelle whispered to herself, before seeming to realise that it hurts Jace to know she's thinking this and correcting herself. "I mean, because of the Clave. It's not that I don't want you here, or anything, I mean…"

"Iz, it's fine." Jace smiled half-heartedly at her. "But I have to see Clary. I_ have_ to."

Izzy, for the first time, really seemed to wake up. "No, Jace. You can't see her, there are so many people who'll want to see her, there won't be two minutes you can have without someone walking in."

"Then that's something I'll just have to deal with." Jace said, getting to his feet.

Isabelle moved towards his side of the bed and grabbed at him, dragging him backwards, away from the door. "Noooo."

"_Jesus_, you're strong." Jace pulled his shirt back out of her grip.

Isabelle grinned gleefully at him. "Come on, though." Her face turned serious. "You can't see her now, it's not what's best for you, or for her."

"But I want to hold her so badly." He moaned, gripping his Shadowhunter gear on his thighs. "Can't you keep people away, just for a little while?"

Isabelle rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Thank you so much." Jace jumped off the bed and ran for the door. "Just ten minutes, then I'll go, I promise."

When they finally made it to the infirmary (having to take their time to avoid being seen) Jace slipped into Clary's room whilst Isabelle stayed at the door, on the lookout for visitors.

"Clary." Jace yelped upon seeing her again with her eyes open, and leapt towards her bed.

"Woah, careful." Clary held her hands out to ward him off as he came to a halt at her side, carefully kneeling down to her height.

"Clary." He pushed a lock of hair from her eyes, not caring that it was grimy and greasy, or that her bedclothes smelled or that her eyes looked beyond tired. She had never looked so beautiful. "Clary, I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too." she said, leaning down to wrap her arms around his neck. His hands slithered around her waist and up her back, pushing her into him with as much force as she could bear. Jace buried his face into her neck and kissed it, tracing kisses up her neck until he was at her mouth, whispering how much he had missed her between kisses.

"I thought I was going to lose you." he whispered. "I was so scared."

"You know me, Jace Herondale." Clary whispered back, "I'll never leave you. Even if I had never woken up." She kissed him again, "I would always be with you, you know that, don't you?"

Jace nodded. "Let's not talk about this right now." he said hoarsely.

"Hi Jocelyn." Isabelle's voice echoed loudly through the door. "I'm sorry, Clary asked me to stand out here and stop people from coming in, she- she's trying to get washed up."

"Is she having trouble?" they heard Jocelyn's voice reply.

Jace and Clary looked bewilderedly at each other, unsure whether to keep still as Isabelle sent her mother away, or to find somewhere for him to hide.

"Yes!" Isabelle replied, "Yes, she's having trouble washing up, so she might be a while. So you should really come back later." Jace nodded at Clary, thinking this is a perfectly good excuse, but Clary shakes her head.

"She's my daughter, Isabelle, I can help her get washed."

"I really don't think she'd want that." Isabelle was starting to sound desperate. "She was sure that she didn't want anyone to go in."

"I'm sure that if she knew I was here she would want me to come and help her. I won't let her struggle." Jocelyn's voice became more suspicious as she spoke.

"Mom, I'm fine." Clary shouted back through the door. "I'll be finished in a minute, I'll come and find you."

"Clary, what's going on?" Jocelyn called.

"Nothing, mom, I just… I just…"

"Clary, if you don't let me in, I'm going to fetch someone, you're clearly not okay."

Jace got to his feet, kissing Clary on the forehead and looking around desperately for somewhere to hide. He ran first to the window, trying to elbow it open again, but somehow it had been locked. "Damnit." he whispered.

"Hide behind one of the curtains." Clary said desperately, just as Jocelyn burst through the door, a pale and worried-looking Isabelle following her in.

"Jace, what are you doing here?" Jocelyn asked, furrowing her eyebrows at him.

"Mom, I'm sorry." Clary butted in, "I just wanted to see him for a few minutes. But you know it's completely-"

"Jace, Isabelle, please stand outside." Jocelyn said sternly. "I need to talk to my daughter." Jace and Isabelle nodded and began to duck out of the room, "And then I am alerting the Clave."

**New chapter coming soon (ish).**


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